Birds of Bartow County ~ Our State Bird: The Brown Thrasher

In winter this handsome bird vanishes from my yard/garden. I'm not sure if they are just hiding in the woods or doing a short migration to our southern neighboring Counties. According to the "bird" maps Bartow is on the edge of their year-round range. Of course we must always keep in mind that birds do not read the maps or bird books.

I feel very fortunate to have had a pair nesting in the shrubs/thicket/wild areas just outside my yard for the last 3 years.

It is a joy to see them at my bird baths, grabing a bite of my homemade Lard/Peanutbutter cakes that I offer in suet feeders and eating my blueberries. OK...I don't mind sharing the fruits I grow with my feathered friends or other native critters.  Their songs are very beautiful and entertaining after all they are in the same family as the Northern Mockingbird. Heck...I think they could become the next American Idol!

Although they are not listed as endangered their numbers are dwilling in Georgia. This is manly due to a lost of habitat and the use of pesticides and other chemicals. They eat insects and forge on the ground. I sometimes use organic solutions to manage pests or diseases but use them very sparingly and as a last resort. 

To learn more about our wonderful State Bird and lisen to their talented singing abitility...click this link:  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Thrasher/id

The pictures were recently taken in my yard...er...wildlife habitat. 

My next post will be about the Red-bellied Woodpecker....so stay tuned.

Happy Birding! 

Jean is a Host on Birds & Blooms Magazine’s Community Forums:http://www.birdsandblooms.com/ and is the lone bird crazy author of the Blog The Joy of Bird Watching and Living a Simple Life: http://jean-livingsimple.blogspot.com/